Nubee here. I have one fairly small hive. KTBH. As I have been checking through observation window I notice 2 to three wasps in the hive. I do not know where they are getting in from. I probably brought some of this on myself because I open fed in hopes of helping build up of stores as winter approaches. Expect first kill frost within two weeks. I set wasp traps. Have caught nearly 50 wasps. Any suggestions? Sure sign of week hive, but I need to max the chance of serviving comming long cold winter. Thanks for any thoughts.

last year was really bad here. trap as many as you can. don't open feed. reduce entrance to smallest size and then next year, get traps out early. they can take out your queen and ruin your hive if they get the chance. be sure to check that your queen is ok.

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We have lost 3 hives in the last week and I am assuming it is from the yellow jackets enjoying their buffet of bees and honey. The yellow jackets are just taking over the weaker hives. Besides the traps sold at Lowe's and the Pepsi bottle/lunch meat(hot dog) trap, does anyone have any other suggestions of getting rid of these pests so that the last few hives that are still strong are able to survive? I already put the entrance reducers on and don't open feed. Once we get our first good freeze, will they go away? I appreciate any advice you can give us. We have been fortunate enough to not have this problem in the past years. Thank you!!

Buzz, where are you located? And there are many ways to kill yellow jackets, but I doubt yellow jackets are killing all your hives off. Trap will work some, open poison works great. Finding their holes and gassing them works the best.

I haven't tried this yet but the speaker at the bee club meeting last month said yellowjackets can be controlled by taking a chunk of raw hamburger meat about five of the fake sugar packets called Equal mix it up with a spoon of sugar and put near the hives. Equal was origanal a pesticide used to kill ants. Yellowjackets around here like it to there demise the bees won't bother it. He also said Equal can be used to kill ants by mixing it with water put it in a bottle cap with #8 hardware cloth to keep the bees out.

I lost 4 strong hives this year to yj's ,too late tho I turned my wax moth traps into yj traps by adding Pepsi and 1 piece of hot dog in them have trapped over 200 of these rotten sob's In five traps. I use the large gaterade bottles instead of sort drink bottles (larger top), and gassed 4 holes in ground. You need the vinegar in them also will keep bees out. JPP